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A Short Halloween Tale from The Story Reading Ape

It all happened so suddenly. There had been no warnings from the Scientists at all.

One minute the Sun was shining high in the July midday sky, then something switched off the light. The darkness lasted for 72 hours exactly, then ended as suddenly as it had started and the Sun was high in the midday sky again, shining as if nothing had happened.

But something HAD happened, something very, very bad had happened.

The fearsome howling and screeching began and spread all around the world within seconds without having an identifiible starting point – SOMETHING was making all the animals and birds on the entire planet very, very, afraid and they were sending out their alarm calls to each other, terror and panic vocalised into a cacophony

Humans were at a loss to understand what was happening. Why were all the land and air creatures so terrified? They hadn’t made a sound during the darkness, but now, they were making themselves hoarse with their noise. Then, within five hours, just as quickly as it had started, silence fell.

Game Wardens, Gamekeepers, Zoo-keepers, Farmers, Bird Watchers, Pet Owners and anyone else who dealt with our fellow creatures reported that they could find only dead animals and birds. ALL of them looked as if they had exploded, or been torn to shreds very, very quickly. What had caused all this carnage? Nothing had been found; no prints, no damage to trees or crops near the bodies. It was inexplicable.

After a few days it was finally realised that, apart from marine animals, Humans were the ONLY living creatures on the face of the planet. Then Marine Biologists disclosed that the fish and other sea creatures were disappearing at an alarming rate and that the oceans were increasing in concentrations of animal protein.

After a few weeks it was finally realised that the lack of animals meant that the only food left was growing in the fields, bushes and trees.

As Scientists, Politicians and Humanity in general were trying to reconcile themselves to becoming vegetarian, Farmers reported that the crops were failing, Forest Rangers reported that the trees and bushes were dying rapidly and Gardeners saw their carefully manicured lawns dry up and wither away as they watched.

Humanity was alone.

And getting thinner and hungrier..

By the hour...

October 31st – Halloween – arrived, saw no-one and departed again….

Silently…..

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